Resilient rod



C. E. McMANUS.

RESILIENT ROD. APPLICATION FILED AUG.'I7. 1918.

Patented July 20, 1920.

gmwfi ATTORNEY Y can: r

ATENT Eli CHARLES E. MOMANUS, or new roan, n. Y.-

RESILIEN'I non;

Application filed August 17, 1918. Serial No. 250,305.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. MoMANUs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Resilient Rods, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

The invention relates to a resilient rod capable of use for various purposes, and particularly adapted for use in the production of disks to be incorporated in bottle caps.

It has been a well known practice heretofore to produce rods by packing granules of cork with a suitable binder in a mold, these rods afterward being cut transversely of the axis of the rod to form flexible disks suitable for assembling in the crimped me tallic caps used in making bottle caps or seals. While such, so called composition disks have proven highly satisfactory under normal conditions, with a prolonged use of such caps, or use under conditions where the material of the disk is subjected to unusual stresses, or the usual stresses for a prolonged period, there is always a possibility of the formation of channels between the granules of the disk, either permitting the gases to pass between the disk and the metallic portion of the cap, or through the body of the disk, and between the edge of the disk, through the crimps of said portion and about the neck of the bottle. When such faults begin to develop, there follows a more or less rapid disintegration of the disk,

There is also a likelihood of the formation of surface imperfections in rods heretofore made, as above stated, due either to the handling of such rods or to cutting them so as to form the resilient disks. Disks formed from such rods have substantially uniform resiliency throughout, the degree of resiliency, however, adjacentthe edge thereof, being insuflicient to cause said edge to read ily conform to imperfections about the outside'of the mouth of a bottle, or the crimps in the metallic portion of the cap. 1

With these conditions inmind,-I have pro-- duced a resilient rod adapted to be cut to form the cushion disks for bottle caps, or to be used for other purposes, which rod consists of a resilient core formed of gran ular cork, or other similar material, suitably bonded together, and a covering or envelop Wlnch will protect the core. This envelop not only has a different degree of resiliency than the core, but is substantially imperv ous to air or other gases, and substantially l1qu1d and'gas roof. This covering or envelop in addition to possessing resiliency, also possesses a certain degree of elasticity. This elasticity is relied upon to cause the envelop to tightly hug the core and exert a continuing compressive strain thereon, tendmg to maintain the desired density of the core and to minimize likelihood of the separation of the different particles of granules of cork with a resultant formation of channels or cells therein, and a consequent dismtegration of the cores. This condition is particularly desirable when the rod is cut into disks, since the resultant characteristics in the disks tends to prevent development of conditions therein which will permit the escape of gases through the disk.

A rod made in accordance with my invention when out into short lengths in forming cushion disks for bottle caps, results in such a disk, the edge of which, beyond the contact point of the top of the bottle therewith, will not only seal the edge of the core portion of the disk, but will readily conform to the outer edge of the mouth of the bottle and to irregularities in the metal portionof the cap. Hence, when that pressure, incidental to the application of a cap to the bottle, is applied to such adisk, a liquid and gas tight joint is formed about the outer range of the mouth of the bottle and also about the rim of the metal portion of the cap.

The invention consists primarily in a resilient rod embodying therein a core formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, and an envelop therefor composed of material having relatively greater resiliency than the material of said core, and such other novel features of construction, hereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto apopended.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a View of a short length of rod embodying my invention, portions thereof being shown in sections upon different par-- allel planes; I}

Fig. 2 1s a transverse section of said rod; and

parts throughout particles bonded together in the usual, or

any desired, manner by means of a suitable hinder, or adhesive. This binder may vary according to different uses to which a rod may be put, it being essential when a rod is to be used for producing the cushion disks for bottle caps, that this binder be insoluble and capable of resisting the action of gas or chemicals thereon. 1

The core a is formed in the usual and well known manner, no claim of invention being made thereto.

Surrounding the core a is a cover or envelop b composed of a soft rubber composition having a relatively higher degree of resiliency than the core a. The thickness of this cover may vary according to the use to which the rod is to be put. The cover or envelop is preferably made of vulcanized rubber.

When the rod is designed to be cut into disks for use in bottle caps, the thickness of the cover or envelop 6 should be such as to bring it without the pouring lip of the bottle, so that the core (1 alone is exposed to the .fluid contents of the bottle, and the outer edge of the mouth of the bottle will engage the relatively higher resilient material of the cover or envelop, thus securing an additional seal at the mouth of the bottle.

Between the core aand the cover or envelop b, provide a stratum c'of a suitable adhesive or binding medium, such as shellac, which will bond firmly to both the core a and the cover or envelop b, and thus secure a substantially integral structure either in the rod or in disks formed therefrom.'

I have found it desirable to form the cover or envelop b of a rubber tube, the inside dimension of which is relatively less than the outside dimension of the core a, thus making it essential that this tube be placed under stretch when it is 'applied to the core, so that the elasticity of the cover or envelop b will develop and apply a constant, though slight, compression strain to the core a. Such difference in the dimensions of the core a and its cover or envelop 6 should not be too great when the rod is to be separated into disks, it being undesirable to develop compression stresses sufficiently great to have a tendency to deform the thin disks of the cork composition.

In the production of a rod made in accordance with my invention, I form the core a and the cover or envelop b separately, and apply the latter to the core by dilating the or other gas, and close the other end of said tubular cover or envelop by inserting one end of the core a thereinto. Thereafter by thedischarge of air or other gas under pressure, Within said tubular cover or envelop, said tubular cover or envelop will be dilated adjacent the end of the core a, this dilation I permitting a gradual feeding movement of said core within the said tubular cover or envelop.

WVhen the cover or envelop has been thus applied to the core a and the delivery of air under pressure within said tube ceases, the elasticity inherent to said cover or envelop will cause it to not only snugly fit or conform to, the entire surface of the core, but

to tend to compress said core.

In this manner the entire surface of the core a, excepting the ends thereof, will have about it a continuous surface, or outer stratum, of a water, gas and acid proof material, having relatively greater resiliency than the core itself. Furthermore, when the rod is cut into disks, this .cover or en velop formsan outer rim for the composition corkdisk which will readily conform, when subjected to pressure,'to irregularities in the adjacent surface of the metal portion of a bottle cap, and to irregularities however minute in the outer edge of the mouth of a bottle. In fact, the resiliency of this cover or envelop will permit the outer edge even though channels may develop in the composition portion of such disks.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, nor to the production of a rod in the specific manner herein referred to.

The essential characteristic of a rod made in accordance with my invention is the composition core formed of cork granules, or other similar granular material, having an outer surfacev of a material having rela- .breakage or the formation of channels therein, and I intend to claim such broadly. Having described the invention what I claim as new, and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A resilient rod embodying therein a I core of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout and formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, and an envelop therefor composed of material having relatively reater resiliency than the material of sai core, said envelop leaving the ends of said core exposed.

2. A resilient rod embodying therein a core of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout and formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, and an envelop therefor composed of soft .rubber, said envelop leaving the ends of said core exposed.

3. A resilient .rodembodying therein a core of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout and formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, and an envelop therefor composed of soft, vulcanized rubber, said envelop leaving the ends of said core exposed.

4. A resilient rod embodying therein a core of substantially uniform cross-sectional area throughout and formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, an envelop therefor composed of soft rubber, and a stratum of a binding medium between said coreand'said envelop, said envelop leaving the ends of said core exposed. v

5. A resilient rod embodying therein a core formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, and an envelop therefor composed of soft, vulcanized rubber, said rubber being normally under stretch, wherebyit will exert compression stresses upon said core and will conform to any irregularities in the surface thereof.

6. A resilient rod embodying therein a core formed of cork granules, suitably bonded together, anenvelop therefor composed of soft, vulcanized rubber, said-rubber being normally under stretch, whereby it will exert compression stresses upon said core and will conform to any irregularities in the surface thereof, and a stratum of binding medium between said core and said envelop.

, In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 12th day of August,

1918, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES E. MQMANU'S'.

Witnesses:

F. T. WENTWORTH, OLARIGE FRANCK. 

